The life & letters of John
Walking As Jesus Walked
1 John 2.1-6 & 4.7-12 & 19-21
Good Morning and Welcome to our service... We're studying... the life and letters... The Works and words... of the Apostle John.
John writes with one motive in mind... That being... To bring his reader to a knowledge of Jesus... For instance...
In his Gospel… John closes with... Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of
them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not hold the books…
But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and
that by believing you may have life in His name.
1 John 5... Closes with… We know that the Son of God has come and has given us
understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true—even
in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
Interesting that John uses the word know 78 times in His Gospel... 35 times in His letters.
Four times John speaks of our Knowing Jesus here in First John... All four times he uses the Greek word ginosko... Which is often used to speak of a relationship.
For instance we know President Elect Biden... But we don't ginosko him... Have a meaningful relationship with him.
In the past four years we've come to know a lot about President Trump... But few... If any of us have a relationship with him.
To give us a Biblical perspective of what this word can mean... When the angel told Mary she was going to be with child... She said... How can this be... Because I know... Ginosko... No man.
Did Mary know men... Yes... But she had had no intimate relationship with any.
Church... With this in mind do we... know Jesus?... Ginoskko him?... Have an intimate relationship with Him?... REALLY?
In rhetoric Jesus asked... Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?
Genuinely Knowing Jesus means we... Listen to him... Obey Him... Walk as He walked.
So... Set these thoughts aside and allow them to soak... As we examine verse six of our reading... Saying... If we GINOSKO Jesus we will walk as He walked... Whoever claims to... Fellowship Him… Live in him... Abide in Him... Ginosko Him... Must walk as Jesus walked.
Now... We must know that this is not the only place
where we are asked to become like Jesus.
1 Corinthians 11.1... Paul writes... Follow me, as I follow Christ.
Galatians 2.20... I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ
lives in me.
1 Peter 2.21... To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an
example, that you should follow in His steps.
Romans 8.29... For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the
likeness of his Son...
2 Corinthians 3.18... We are being transformed into his likeness from the Spirit within.
Then Philippians 2.5... Your... Heart... Attitude... Mind... Disposition... Behavior... Should
be the same as that of Christ Jesus.
Church... There should be no doubt that we should... Think... Dream... Scheme... Plan... And behave... Like Jesus... He is to be our... example... Hero... Mentor.
Well... How?... How do we become like Him... Make His lifestyle ours?
Allow me to suggest three ways this morning for our lesson...
Come... Let's see what we can learn about
Walking As Jesus Walked... Living Life As He lived...
First... We must live each day Doing the Father's will..
John 6.38 has Jesus saying... I've come not to do My will but the will of the Father… The will of Him who sent Me
Church... Our daily agenda is to place God.... Upfront... Foremost... Top drawer... In every arena of life.
There's to be... no other God's before Him... No idols!!
Listen... That arena... That Part… that aspect... Of my life and yours... That God does not control... Becomes our idol…
Can I say that again… That arena of my life and yours that God does not control… becomes our idol!
John writes in this same chapter two... Love not the world or anything in the world. If
anyone loves the things of the world, the love of the Father is not in him. The world and
its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives for ever.
1 John 5.3 says... This is how we know we love God... By obeying His commands.
2 John 6 reads... This is love... That we walk in obedience to his commands.
Four times in the Synoptic Gospels... Jesus tells us...
• How to walk as He walked...
• How to make our agenda His Agenda...
• How to live in the Father's will...
And that's by loving God with all our... Heart... Mind... Body... and Soul.
This is not a new commandment... Moses gave it to Israel 3500 Years ago in Deuteronomy 6.5... Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Well... What does it mean to love God like this?...
What effect does such a love have upon us?
Loving God with all our heart...
The heart is the part of us that controls our... Desires... Affections... Passions... Our Wants.
Here's a... Sobering... Thought provoking... Question... Does God control this arena... Our... Desires... Affections... Passions... Wants?... Or does the world?...
Walking as Jesus walked... Loving God as did Jesus... With all our Heart... Means God controls this arena.
Loving God with all our mind...
It's difficult to make a distinction between heart and mind... It's a lot like trying to make a distinction between soul and spirit... For sometimes they're used interchangeably.
In the Greek... the word for MIND is often used to speak of our... Thoughts... UNDERSTANDING... Intellect... Our decision making ability.
I believe Jesus is saying we are to love God with our WILL!!
God has given us power over our... Passions... Affections... Wants... Desires of the Heart.
We control our behavior!... No one or nothing else does... We are free-moral agents.
We are who we are because we decide to be… No one else decides for us.
People say… "He made me so mad"… No He didn't… We decided to be mad… We are exactly the people and person we decide to be.
The question becomes... Have we made up our MIND... To walk as Jesus walked... To love God with all our MIND?
Love Him with all our... Strength... Body... The King James says all our might!
I understand the Greek can be translated... With all our ability!
Wow... Jesus is speaking of MINISTRY... We're to love God with our Gifts and Talents!
No wonder we find Paul saying... We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If prophesying, let us use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let us serve; if it is teaching, let us teach; if it is encouraging, let us encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let us give generously; if it is leadership, let us govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let us do it cheerfully... Whatever you do... In Word or deed... Do all in the name of the Lord.
Here it is church... Walking as Jesus walked is to love God with all our... Strength... Talents... Ability... Demonstrated by our serving Him in ministry.
So the questions we must ask are...
• Do I have... A ministry?... A purpose... In His Kingdom?...
• Am I using my gift or gifts demonstrating my love for Him?..
• What does my ministry involvement say about my love for God... Little or lot?
We are to love Him with all our soul.
The Greek or Hebrew words for soul can both be translated breath or life.
Jesus is saying... We are to love Him with all of life.
In Revelation 2.10... Jesus promises... Be faithful until unto death and He will give us the crown of life... You do what the crown of life is… Don't you… Eternal Life!
We find an interesting phrase from the pen of David in the opening lines of Psalm 42... As the deer pants for streams of water... So my soul pants for You... O God.
No wonder we find Paul indicating...
• That we must crucify and bury the old self... Be raised to walk a new life...
A life under God's control.
• That we must die daily... Die to self... Live for God!
• That we must become a living sacrifice.
Gotta ask... What does our soul pant for?... God and Kingdom stuff?... Or Worldly things?
Church… How we answer is significant... It tells us if we're loving God with all our soul... If we're truly walking as Jesus walked.
Secondly... Walking as Jesus walked means...
We must love others... Placing others before self... Serving the Jesus in others.
Listen… If we know anything about Jesus in our world... We know His love for humankind... It's evident from the beginning to the end of His earthly walk.
He came serving others... All others... Even His enemies... And then died for us all.
Listen to these select verses from First John chapter three... Verse ten beginning... This is how we know if we are children of God or children of the devil... Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother. This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another... So... Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother... We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. This is how we know what love is... Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?
Jesus tells us how we are to love… When He paints the great sheep and goat Judgment scene in Matthew chapter twenty-five... Those on the right are those who loved others enough to care for their needs... I was hungry and you gave me something to eat... Thirsty and you gave me something to drink... A stranger and you invited me in... Needed clothes and you clothed me... I was sick and you looked after me... In prison and you visited me... I tell you the truth... Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.
Jesus tells us who we are to serve in the Parable of the Good Samaritan...
• Those we meet on life's road who are in need...
• Those Whom God places in front of us.
• Those who have been damaged by the world.
Paul says we are to...
• Forgive one another...
• Carry one another's burdens...
• Lift up and restore one another...
• Share with others... Especially the Lord's people...
• Place the interest of others before those of our own.
The Hebrews' Writer admonishes... Don't forget to entertain strangers and to do good and share with others… For such sacrifices pleases God.
Such Love & Behavior toward others is walking as Jesus walked... ARE WE... REALLY?
One more point...
Walking as Jesus walked is walking with proper motive...
Church... Religious integrity is a must!... Motive is everything!
Jesus was frequently found criticizing... The Pharisees... Teachers of the Law... The Religious authorities... Because of their hypocrisy.
They were practicing their religion out of a wrong motive... With no religious integrity... They were...
• Sitting on the front seats... The Chief Seats…
• Serving in high places...
• Giving to the poor...
• Fasting...
• Praying...
• Doing their righteousness...
To be seen of others... Wrong motive!... A Lack of integrity!
Jesus addresses motive with the Woman at the well and with Nechodemus... Saying our worship and service to God must be genuine... in spirit and true... Verses just going through some ritual motions of religiosity.
We must be born from above... Our hearts and mind must be on heavenly things.
Listen church… First John 3.21 & 24... Speaks of motive and integrity...
John says… Our own heart can condemn or affirm us…
Our heart can tell us if we're hypocritical... Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence... For those who obey His commands live in Him, and He in them. And this is how we know that He lives in us: We know it by the Spirit He gave us.
John is saying that we know in our heart if we are truly worshiping and serving Him... Or just going through some religious motions.
Others may not know… But deep down we do… we do… Don't we??
Indeed… Spirit & Truth Worship and Service is more than coming to church... More than a Sunday Morning affair.
Our Christian life must be motivated by... An all-out Love for God... And Love toward our fellow man... We must have a deep desire to walk as Jesus walked.
Christianity is more than a religion... It is an intimate and personal... Handholding... Walking... Talking... Relationship with God.
A relationship that happens when we walk as Jesus walked.
Allow me to suggest this… Take this home with you this morning… walking As Jesus Walked is all about the three A's Anywhere… Anytime… At any cost.
Can we honestly say... Anywhere, Lord!... Anytime, Lord... Any cost, Lord?... I'm walking with you!
This week the world is focused upon Jesus' coming... And that's good!... But it's not salvational... Loving God enough to obey His commands gains us forgiveness and salvation...
• A Faith in... And A Confession of... Jesus...
• Walking as Jesus walked in a Changed Life...
• And the New Birth of Water Baptism.
If you haven't been Born again... Do it today!
May each of us determine in our heart... To Walk As Jesus Walked… As we stand and sing.
